ELE102 week 3 Name:

Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits

Introduction
The current in a forward-biased junction diode is due to the net effect of majority and minority
carriers. Once a diode is in a forward conduction mode and then its forward current is reduced
to zero (due to the natural behavior of the diode circuit or applications of a reverse voltage),
the diode continues to conduct due to minority carriers that remain stored in the pn junction
and the bulk semiconductor material. The minority carriers require a certain time to recombine
with opposite charges and to be neutralized. This time is called the reverse recovery time of the
diode. (Ch2. Power Electronics with Devices, Circuits and Applications. Rashid.)

Equipment
1 Multisim file “Lab3_RecoveryA.ms11”
1 Multisim file “Lab3_RecoveryB.ms11”

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ELE102 week 3 Name:
Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits

Activity 1. Measure Diode Characteristics (Forward Voltage)

Step 0. Open Multisim file “Lab3_RecoveryA.ms11”

Step 1. Measure Diode Characteristics

Use the Multisim curve tracer (IV Analyzer) to display the diode characteristic curve. Place the
instrument in your Multisim design worksheet:

Simulate -> Instruments -> IV Analyzer

Current Range: LIN, Voltage Range: LOG Reverse: White Background

Use the cursor to measure the voltage at current 10mA.

The above screenshot shows:

Forward Voltage: 0.659 V
Forward Current: 10.932 mA

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ELE102 week 3 Name:
Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits

Use the IV Analyzer to complete the column Forward Voltage in the following table:

Description Voltag Current - Speed Reverse Forward Forward Voltage

e- Reverse recovery time Power (V)
Forwar Leakage (trr) Dissipation @10mA
d (Vf) @ Vr (W)
(Max)
@ IF
1N5820 DIODE 475m 2mA @ Fast - 1.3
SCHOTTKY V@ 20V Recovery
20V 3A 3A =<
DO201AD 500ns, >
200mA
(Io)
ZHCS1000 DIODE 500m 100µA Fast 12ns 1
SCHOTTKY V@1A @ 30V Recovery
40V 1A =<
SOT23-3 500ns, >
200mA
(Io)
STPSC406D DIODE 1.9V 50µA @ No 0 ns 4
SCHOTTKY @ 4A 600V Recovery
600V 4A Time >
TO220AC 500mA
(Io)
1N4004 DIODE GEN 1.1V 5µA @ Standard - 3
PURP 400V @ 1A 400V Recovery
1A DO41 >500ns, 0.659
> 200mA
(Io)

Activity 2. Measure the Reverse Recovery Time

Step 0. Open Multisim file “Lab3_RecoveryB.ms11”

Step 1. Set-up Function Generator

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ELE102 week 3 Name:
Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits
XSC1

VDD Ext Trig

+
40V _
A B
+ _ + _

L1
500mH source drain
V V
A D1 A
Probe1 Probe2

ZHCS1000
source C1 R2
Q1 100µF 265Ω

R1 drain
33Ω IRFP451
V2
0V 12V
5ms 50ms

This is a typical reverse recovery time measurement circuit. Although the values of L1, R1, V2
and VDD are tuned to measure a silicon carbide Schottky diode, they are also useful to measure
other type of diodes.
The transistor IRF P451 switches on-off the diode. The R2C1 circuit charges almost to the
voltage of the power supply. When the transistor IRF P451 sends the drain to ground the diode
is set in reverse bias, current on the diode should be turned off almost instantaneously, since
there is a time for the minority carriers to settle in, that is the time the diode will continue to
have current in either direction.

The values of the Pulse Voltage generator:

Input Value: 0V Pulsed Value: 12 V

Delay Time: 0usec Rise Time: 10nsec Fall Time: 10nsec
Pulse Width: 5msec Period: 50msec
All other parameters: 0

Step 2 Set-up Transient Analysis Parameters (ZHCS1000, 1N5820, STPSC406D, 1N4004)

Simulate -> Analyses and Simulation-> Transient

The Analysis Parameters tab should have the following values

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ELE102 week 3 Name:
Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits

The Output tab should have

You need to use the button “Add expression” to add V(probe1)/100 and V(probe2)/100.

Step 4. Run the simulation

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ELE102 week 3 Name:
Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits

Pressing the “Run” button will run the simulation with a graph like this one

We need to change some options in this graph.

4.a) Grid and Reverse Color

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ELE102 week 3 Name:
Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits
4.b) Axis Scale

4.c) Measurement cursors

Step 3. Sketch and fill out results table.

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ELE102 week 3 Name:
Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits

Record the reverse recovery time and sketch the figure.

Diode 1N5820
Y axis
Linear min: -1.2 max: 0.5
X axis
Logarithmic min: 1e-010 max:0.0001

Diode 1N5820 Trr=

Diode ZHCS1000
Y axis
Linear min: -0.2 max: 0.5
X axis
Logarithmic min: 1e-008 max:0.0001

Diode ZHCS1000 Trr=

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ELE102 week 3 Name:
Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits
Diode STPS406D
Y axis
Linear min: -0.3 max: 0.5
X axis
Logarithmic min: 1e-010 max:0.0001

Diode STPS406D Trr=

Diode 1N4004 needs a resistance R2=1MΩ

Diode 1N4004
Y axis
Linear min: -0.2 max: 0.15
X axis
Logarithmic min: 1e-008 max:1e-006

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ELE102 week 3 Name:
Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits

Diode 1N4004 Trr=

Description Voltage - Current - Speed Reverse recovery time (trr)

Forward Reverse
(Vf) Leakage
(Max) @ @ Vr
IF
1N5820 DIODE 475mV @ 2mA @ Fast Recovery
SCHOTTKY 3A 20V =< 500ns, >
20V 3A 200mA (Io)
DO201AD
ZHCS1000 DIODE 500mV@ 100µA Fast Recovery
SCHOTTKY 1A @ 30V =< 500ns, >
40V 1A 200mA (Io)
SOT23-3
STPSC406D DIODE 1.9V @ 50µA @ No Recovery
SCHOTTKY 4A 600V Time > 500mA
600V 4A (Io)
TO220AC
1N4004 DIODE GEN 1.1V @ 5µA @ Standard -
PURP 400V 1A 400V Recovery
1A DO41 >500ns, >
200mA (Io)

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ELE102 week 3 Name:
Reverse Recovery Time Diode Circuits

Review Questions

1. Which diode has the highest forward voltage at 10mA?

Answer: _____________________________________________

2. Do you see any “soft” recovery in the reverse recovery time graphs?

Answer: _____________________________________________

3. Which diodes should have a heat sink in the reverse bias of this circuit?

Answer: _____________________________________________

4. Which diode has the best characteristics in reverse recovery time? Why?

Answer: _____________________________________________

Conclusions

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